Caroline HAGER
Healthcare Systems Unit
DG Health and Consumers
Health and
Consumers

EU Health Workforce (8% of total EU workforce)
Trends in employment in the human health sector
13 400
13 200
13 000
12 800
12 600
12 400
12 200
12 000
Trends in employment in all other sectors
208 000
206 000
204 000
202 000
200 000
198 000
196 000
194 000
Underlying issues
Ageing population and workforce
Rise of chronic diseases and co-morbidities
Mobility of health workers
Health and
Consumers
Challenges
Increasing demand for health workers
Change in models of care delivery
(less hospital-centric, more primary care)
Mobility - unequal distribution
Limited data causes fragmentation of workforce planning

Action plan for the EU health workforce adopted in April 2012 as part of the Employment Package
Forecasting workforce needs and improving workforce planning methodologies
Share good practice on effective recruitment and retention strategies for health professionals
Anticipating future skills needs in the health professions
WHO Global Code of
Practice on the international
Recruitment of Health personnel
Health and
Consumers

Forecasting workforce needs and planning methodologies
Anticipating future skills needs in the health professions
Planning and forecasting
Impact on education/training
New integrated care delivery models,
New technologies
Lifelong learning/continous professional development
- Joint Action on workforce planning & forecasting
- OECD study on education
& training
Health and
Consumers
-Education & training of healthcare assistants
- EU mapping study on CPD
- Report on education&training in patient safety

Share good practice on effective recruitment and retention strategies for health professionals
WHO Global Code of Practice on the international
Recruitment of Health personnel
Attract and recruit new people,
Incentive mechanisms
Ethical Recruitment of Health
Personnel
- Cooperation with social partners
- EU mapping study on innovative/effective recruitment & retention
Health and
Consumers
- Joint Action workshop on
WHO Code
- Healthworkers4All project

http://ec.europa.eu/health/workforce/policy/index_en.htm
Health and
Consumers